NZXT H630 Silent Ultra Tower Computer Case Review

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NZXT H630 Silent Ultra Tower Computer Case Review
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By Tom Jaskulka

Manufacturer: NZXT, Inc.
Product Name: H630 Ultra Tower
Model Number: CA-H630F-M1
UPC: 815671011473
Price As Tested: $149.99 (Newegg | Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by NZXT Technologies.

NZXT has dabbled in quiet cases before (Hush, H2). While I don’t personally have experience with those particular chassis, I’ve gathered the attempts in the past have left consumers wanting. It appears a revived Phantom line has also provided another opportunity for NZXT Technologies to tackle the “silent” segment once again – can NZXT bring the H series of chassis to new levels with the H630 Silent Ultra Tower Computer Case? Benchmark Reviews has a chance to answer this question. Let’s take a look.

NZXT reveals on their H630 product page that the “new H630 was engineered for one simple purpose: provide enthusiasts the ability to build the highest performing systems while remaining audibly invisible.” This sounds like a tall order, as performance usually means heat – which means noise. Can they deliver?

As a quick reminder, I think it’s important to note that “silence” is somewhat of a misnomer (there’s almost always noise). If you’re building a “silent” PC, you should be aware that no amount of sound-dampening material will silence noisy components. The amount of other noises present in the room will also contribute to changing the character and level of sound that you hear, which is why most sound testing should be done in a special chamber – which becomes irrelevant the moment you take the item out of the chamber (in my opinion).

Still, there are techniques used in the H630 that will do a substantial amount of work in reducing the type and amount of noise that escapes as long as you use appropriate components in your build. My main concern for the H630 in regards to noise will be finding out if the result is worth the inclusion of the materials for the price (that is, “is it worth it?”). With that in mind, let’s get started.

NZXT H630 Features

Clean. Modern. Silent. Three words to describe the new H – an ear-defining change in the way you experience the PC.

Beautifully architected, the new H630 was engineered for one simple purpose: provide enthusiasts the ability to build the highest performing systems while remaining audibly invisible.

Ushering in a new era of silent, high performance systems, the NZXT H630 leads the industry with a high-density sound dampening design that doesn’t impede its cooling capabilities.

Fully enclosed in steel and combined with an intelligent vent design to minimize intake noise, the H630 offers a sleek, jaw-dropping design that will leave you and your components speechless.

The new H is the first of its kind to support up to two 200mm fans in the front of the enclosure and the first in the industry that allows for this much airflow expandability without the removal of sound dampening material.

The H630 offers exceptional support for a wide range of liquid cooling solutions, including the ability to mount 240mm, 280mm and 360mm radiators in both top and front positions.
Complete with fully modular hard drive cages , a ten-port fan hub and two removable SSD mounts located behind the motherboard tray, the H630 offers comprehensive customization for all enthusiasts.

The H630 is available in Matte Black and Glossy White colors for $149.99 USD.

H630 Specifications

Size	Ultra Tower
Model Number	CA-H630F-W1 Glossy White CA-H630F-M1 Matte Black
Drive Bays	External 5.25″ x 2 (Tooless) Internal 3.5″/2.5″: 8(2 x 2.5″ behind MB) 2 x 3HDD cage, 1 x 2HDD cage (Fully Modular)
Cooling System	Front 2 x 200 or 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm ( 1 x 200mm included ) Top 2 x 200 or 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Rear 1 x 140/120mm ( 1 x 140mm included ) Bottom 2 x 140/120mm HDD Pivot 2 x 140/120mm
Filters	Front Side(Included) Bottom Front (Included) Bottom Rear(Included)
Radiator Support	Front 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Top 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Bottom 2 x 140/120 Rear 1 x 140/120mm
Clearance	CPU Cooler 190mm VGA Card 354mm Cable Management 27mm
Dimensions	245mm(W) x 547mm(H) x 567mm(D)
Material	SECC Steel, ABS Plastic
Motherboard Support	ATX, Micro-ATX, XL-ATX, EATX (347mm x 272mm)
Expansion Slots	9
External Electronics	1 x Audio/Mic 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0 SD Card Reader With SDHC & SDXC Support I/O Panel LED On/Off
Product Weight	14 kg
Warranty	2 years

Specifications taken from the manufacturer’s product page.

NZXT H630 Exterior Features

I still find it difficult to capture the true impression of a computer case with a photo – many have to be seen in person, or in relation to something else to really get a feel for dimensions and “look.” I’ll just go ahead and say the H630 is deceptive – seeing product photos online didn’t really prepare me for how big this case is. I don’t mean that in a negative way, it seems appropriate enough dimensionally, but just imagine at least two 200mm fans stacked on top of each other filling that front panel. The clean lines and “satin” black finish (it isn’t matte, but it isn’t even remotely glossy either) don’t help, as they remove any sort of reference points the eye might have to gauge the size. One thing I want to draw your attention to: the top exhaust grill. Normally, I place my cases on the floor to my right. Since this exhaust grill is located only on this side, you may want to place the H630 to your left to cut down on sound from the internal components escaping with the heat. The placement of the I/O panel reaffirms this choice, and seems to be the way NZXT intended. As always, your individual setup and preferences will come into play here, but if you’re concerned about noise keep that in mind.

Maybe a rear view will give us some more perspective – that’s a 140mm fan back there, which might give a better idea of the width of this enclosure. I especially appreciate the mounting system for that fan (and most of the other fan mounts on this case) that so far remains unique to NZXT – the slots allow you to raise or lower your choice of fan to align it with a CPU cooler, for instance. I love seeing these types of innovations – low cost, effective solutions that make sense. Again, note the top exhaust grill – this is one area that sound will escape despite the dampening closed-cell foam used in the top panel, but as this area points away from you that shouldn’t be an issue.

Other than the I/O panel and filtered intake vent, there isn’t much to see on the right side of the H630. Keep in mind, all of the panels you see are steel, but the top and front panels use a plastic frame (and are essentially wrapped with a thin steel covering, a technique I’ve seen used on many cases). The satin black finish seems consistent throughout, and really helps blend into whatever setup you may have.

NZXT may have toned down the styling from the Phantom line of cases, but that doesn’t mean they were happy with a simple black box. An interesting asymmetrical/”interlocking” design connects the front intake on the side with the top exhaust vents. Handily, it doubles as a nice gripping surface to remove the top and front panels. When you do remove the front panel, the I/O ports remain connected to the frame, which is always nice to be able to completely remove a panel without disconnecting wires.

The front, sides and top panels are all lined extensively with 7mm thick closed-cell sound dampening foam. The addition of this material definitely contributes quite a bit of heft to each of these panels, but also serve to dampen fan and component noise from hard drives, optical drives, etc. In my experience with working with the H630, this foam contributed greatly to controlling noise, but not as much as component choice and sufficient airflow. If you starve your CPU/GPU coolers of cool air, their fans will just run faster (louder) to compensate. Don’t expect this foam to perform miracles by itself is what I am trying to say here – but don’t think it is worthless either. It certainly cut down on the “coil whine” heard from some GPUs (my 7970 is a major culprit here), virtually erased any hard drive noises and changed the “character” of the sound escaping. It definitely serves a purpose here, and seems to do its job well.

Finally, a view of the power/reset buttons when powered on. I thought the choice of a white LED was excellent, and helps contribute to the overall “sophisticated” look of the chassis. It has a very solid feel, and actuates with very little travel (the feel of buttons is one of those subtle details that I feel contributes quite a bit to the overall impression of quality). I wonder if the tolerances might be a little too tight here though, as putting pressure on the top panel itself was enough to trip the switch and power up the machine. This is something that might work itself out after a slight break in period, and really only becomes an issue if you’re in the habit of working inside your computer while it is still plugged in (or like to set things on top of your case).

The HDD activity LED is located on the front panel and is also white, but it is indirectly lit and remains very subtle (in bright light, you may not be able to see it). We’ll get a better look at that and more by taking a look inside.

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NZXT H630 Internal Features
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With both of the side panels removed, a mostly familiar sight is waiting; for anyone familiar with the Phantom 630 interior this should bring back some memories. However, there are some slight changes…

The most obvious of those might be the modular drive trays – while of the same type as the Phantom 630, the H630 uses a 3/2/3 arrangement instead of the Phantom’s 1/2/3 and reduces the number of 5.25″ bays to two. Personally, I feel this is a great way to go, especially with this enclosure as it frees up room for an additional 200mm fan up front and a mounting point for an additional 120/140mm fan behind the hard drive cages. In a case with minimal venting it is nice to be able to expand the airflow to your requirements.

The hard drive cages themselves are secured on the right (“back”) side with thumbscrews, and use the same plastic trays as the other Phantoms. Although I appreciate the tool-less approach (they just snap around a 3.5″ drive, and are ready to go), this particular version seems a little too flimsy. The posts to lock in the drive moved around a little too easily as well, making this process a little more frustrating than it would need to be with slightly stiffer trays (which would help the 2.5″ drives as well…). Still, I’d rather deal with truly tool-less trays that are flimsy than sturdy ones that still use screws, but that’s because I swap hardware often. The point remains though – these trays could use some attention. I like the design, they’re just a little too flimsy…

At least 2.5″ drives (namely, SSDs) have their own mounting point on the back of the motherboard tray. Using a 2.5″ drive on the plastic drive trays doesn’t feel as secure as mounting them on the back on the motherboard tray using these dedicated drive trays. After bolting them to the SSD, they simply slide on to the notches and secure with a thumbscrew. This is the way to utilize the space back here, especially because you can add drives without removing the motherboard (unlike designs that drill four holes in the motherboard tray and call it a mounting point).

Another great addition that will make your life easier is the 10-port fan hub bolted in a central location. NZXT is one of the few companies that have started to include this item with their cases, and I believe it adds tremendous value. Especially in cases with room to upgrade and add additional fans, having a central location to quickly plug in fans without messing with molex adapters or fan controller wiring is very beneficial.

The front I/O board (and the top power/reset buttons!) remains attached to the frame when removing the front panel, the benefits of which I’ve noted earlier. This is a smart design choice! If you’ve ever worked with a case that the wires remain attached when you remove the panel, you know exactly how nice this is.

The round button up top is what activates the “work light” LEDs in the back, and below the two USB3.0 and USB2.0 ports is the integrated SD card reader. While it isn’t difficult to use adapters, I wasn’t prepared for how useful an integrated card reader would be! I didn’t realize how annoyed I was every time I wanted to transfer pictures from my camera to my hard drive (with reviewing items, this happens often…), but I quickly realized this is a feature I should look for more often. We take it for granted on most laptops, so it is especially appreciated here. Maybe this is something that doesn’t matter to you, but it was an item that added a huge amount of value to the H630 for me (especially given the lack of external 3.5″ bays). Perhaps more importantly, it illustrated for me that NZXT actually thinks about features that users…well, use.

Speaking of panels, the front panel was RIDICULOUSLY difficult to remove. I am absolutely surprised I didn’t snap something (either in my shoulder or on the case) trying to dislodge the lower right “pegs” in removing the front panel. The H630 is available now on Newegg and Amazon, and I haven’t noticed any of the reviews mention this problem so it might just be an issue with the “review” version (I have read that this has been fixed for the retail cases). I hope they’ve fixed it, because it would be difficult to remove the optical drive bay covers (which are secured with thumbscrews) without removing the front panel, not to mention installing any sort of fans or radiators here.

Once you do get that front panel removed, you can see that a 200mm fan comes pre-installed, and there is room for another 200mm fan or 2x140mm/up to 3x120mm fans/radiators. Just a quick note: these are the “FZ” series fans, which are the more common 154mm spacing and should be compatible with most other 200mm fans on the market. Earlier NZXT cases (pre-Phantom 820) used 193mm fans and a unique spacing, which rendered their fans and mounts incompatible with other 200mm fans. I was pleased to see that NZXT decided to adjust their cases to accommodate the more common 200mm size.

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NZXT H630 Internal Details
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Removing the top panel sheds some additional light on the interior of the H630. The most prominent features are the two 200mm fan holes, with mounting available for 2x120mm or 2x140mm radiators. The smaller fans use the same slot system as the rear fan, allowing some adjustment which is a very appreciated decision (not all radiators are created equal, it would seem). The center 200mm fan should be installed first if you plan to fill the top with fans, as the optical bays don’t give a large amount of clearance to squeeze one in beside one that is already installed.

While at first glance it doesn’t look like there are any cable routing holes for the AUX 12V CPU line up top, there are multiple cutouts just for this purpose located along a horizontal “ledge.” This is a different arrangement than in most cases, but it works very well.

Again, notice the drive trays – the Phantom 630 uses a 3/2/1 arrangement, allowing for “only what’s needed” configs, while the H630 uses a 3/2/3 arrangement. The benefit is an extra 140mm fan “bracket” is gained, which could help with directed airflow. In the absence of a vented side panel (understandable given the H630’s focus on sound suppression), this is a nice addition.

The bottom of the H630 contains two dust filters that span the entire length of the case, and reveal room for a 2x120mm radiator and fans in the front. These filters are easy to remove and replace without moving the case, which is always appreciated.

Like the Phantom 630, the H630 has over an inch of space behind the motherboard tray for stashing cables. I didn’t have any problems closing the hinged side panel even without using the numerous tie-down points located all over the motherboard tray.

This is jumping ahead slightly, but there is one final detailed feature that deserves some recognition even if the implementation isn’t perfect. Possibly one of the most useful additions to a case, and definitely belonging in the “why hasn’t anyone done this before” category are the white LEDs illuminating the back panel with the press of a button. I know, most Alienware cases do this as well – let me know where I can order one and you may have a point there, but this is the first manufacturer I’ve seen include this feature (although I’m not sure if there are patents involved). Simple, effective, and it makes sense – I like seeing these types of features! Anyone can make a steel box, these small touches are what really separate one manufacturer from the next.

However, there is one glaring fault – the system has to be powered on for these lights to illuminate. You can’t get rid of your flashlight quite yet. While I don’t think NZXT needs to go the embedded battery route (a la Alienware), simply switching from a 2-pin lead to perhaps a USB header for these lights would be nice as many motherboards would allow +5V (especially those with “powered” USB ports for charging phones and other USB devices). However, the solution here is probably the simplest and most compatible, so I can understand why it was done this way. Besides, it wouldn’t be that hard for an enterprising modder to fix…

Building a System Inside the H630

As always, building a system in an enclosure is one of the best ways to check the design and execution.

The power supply install was uneventful, as expected in a case in this category. There’s more than enough room for whatever length power supply you choose, although if you plan to get into the 1200W+ category AND fill the bottom fan slots with a radiator, you might have to get creative with cable management. Thankfully, the cable routing holes are sufficient, the tie down points are located in many more useful places than many enclosures, and the slightly angled grommets do assist with routing cables. The angled CPU cooler cutout is very nice as well – in addition to contributing to the design, it actually frees up quite a bit more room to install a backplate.

Remember, you need to install the drives from the right side, everything else from the left. As you can see, there’s more than enough room for large graphics cards and full-size motherboards (the H630 can fit up to an E-ATX form factor).

I initially installed the NZXT Kraken X40 radiator in a free fan slot up top, trying to keep the most “stock” configuration possible. It was simple to find room to install both the radiator and fan, and a push/pull configuration would be doable as well. I had to appreciate the offset radiator mounting of cases like the Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 though, as that really serves to avoid most cable clearance issues. Still, the solution here isn’t bad, and the provision for 200mm fans is really nice.

On the topic of 200mm fans, I had a few sitting around that I wanted to throw in the H630. Of course, that meant the Kraken couldn’t stay up top, and I settled on attaching it to the rear exhaust. Thankfully NZXT allows for some adjustment here, as the LED that illuminates the PCI slots sticks up enough to potentially cause some clearance issues. With a push/pull arrangement it wasn’t a problem, but it’s something to be aware of. Personally, while it would make future modding more difficult (and require more difficult wiring) I’d like to see NZXT switch to SMD LEDs – they’re small enough to fit anywhere, and seem more appropriate for applications like this.

I tried to capture the clearance available above the motherboard here – as you can see, most components won’t cause a problem in this area. Keep in mind nothing can be mounted “above” the frame as it would not clear the top panel and sound dampening foam, so the area below is all the space you get.

Finally, the finished build. Overall, the H630 was easy to build a system in. It is obviously roomy being an “ultra tower,” and was filled with enough innovations and features to make the overall experience pleasant. I was satisfied with the performance of the H630 with a typical build installed, and if you have a hotter platform there is enough room to expand the cooling capabilities with additional fans – more than the Phantom 630, which was a great performer as well.

Going beyond stock…

Of course, that got me thinking… Obviously, stock performance is important since not everyone wants to buy a case and THEN buy some more stuff to finish the case. Still, those three empty 200mm fan slots were calling out to be filled – and I simply had to see if a silent enclosure with minimal venting could keep up. So, I threw an extra 7950 and overclocked all of the components (CPU and GPUs, anyway) to see if the additional airflow would tame a normally hot configuration. The fans I had on hand were 200mm (rated for 154 CFM) made by another manufacturer, but NZXT produces fans of the “FZ” type (rated for 103 CFM) with white blades or clear with many different LED colors.

I discovered the H630 was adequate in stock form, but adding some exhaust fans especially generated a significant improvement in temperatures (without the top exhaust fans I noticed “pockets” of warm air in areas after opening the side panels – unscientific, but noticeable nonetheless). I don’t normally include noise or temperature measurements in case reviews, as they would only apply to the specific configuration I used (and in the case of noise, the room the case was located in). However, with my configuration and four 200mm fans, I saw a 12C difference between 3DMark11 runs on the top GPU! The CPU temperatures stayed similar, but the peak GPU temps really surprised me (top/bottom: 71C/62C stock, 59C/57C with additional fans). There was enough airflow to keep two GPUs pulling around 200W-250W each at about the same temperature in a “gaming” environment, without a side fan! Better yet, the noise profile didn’t change substantially and the cooler temperatures overall kept the component fan noise down. It was a pleasant surprise that a “silent” case could deliver this much cooling performance – I was impressed.

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Silent Computer Case Final Thoughts
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I think I’m guilty here of judging a case by its exterior (just so we’re clear, that’s something to be avoided). When I initially unboxed the H630, my reaction was…meh. It looked like a big black box. And with what looked like inadequate ventilation to boot! Surely, this thing was going to be an average choice, only fit for those “HTPC” type builds that focus on low-temperature quiet components. No way would it handle hot, overclocked, enthusiast, multi-GPU builds!

I’m not sure if I could have been more wrong. Once I took the time to really dig into all this chassis has to offer, I found a smart design with a lot of performance potential (is there a life lesson in here somewhere…?). There are still some revisions to be made I think, and some areas that need a little focus if only because there’s always room for improvement. Overall, it’s a well-built enclosure that offers a fair amount of really compelling features for the price – it has the effect of making up for any of the relatively minor issues. The style really started to grow on me, and I didn’t realize how nice it was to not hear EVERY component in my build. When my curiosity got the better of me and I filled all of the 200mm fan slots, the H630 really impressed me – far more than I initially gave it credit for. Then consider the built-in SD card reader, the illuminated motherboard and PCI ports, quality sound dampening materials on all panels and easy to work in interior (with enough ventilation capability for TWO 3x120mm radiators!)…that’s a case that offers a lot for the price. Perhaps not surprisingly, my main computer build has lingered inside this case for much longer than usual…

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NZXT H630 Ultra Tower Conclusion
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If I had to sum up my experience with NZXT’s H630, I’d just have to say: I like what NZXT is doing. That applies to their new Phantoms, and now their “H” line of cases. Normally, I’d care more about the little nitpicks and issues I discover in a case, but it is clear that NZXT is aggressively iterating on each one of their designs. With the introduction of the Phantom 820 less than a year ago, NZXT has subsequently released (or will release soon) the Phantom 630, H630, H230 and Phantom 530 – and each version appears to be an improvement in some area.

I have to admit though, I’m not sure how to rate the performance of the H630. Do I rate based on the stock configuration? How about the cooling potential of the chassis (which I discovered was incredible!)? After all, most users will retain a case longer than many of the components in it – shouldn’t you factor in future expand-ability as well? At the end of the day, the H630 answers this question pretty easily as it performs satisfactorily for most builds in its factory configuration. I would have been curious to see if the stock configuration would improve if NZXT had traded the rear 140mm exhaust for a top 200mm exhaust…but really, with most typical builds it probably doesn’t need it. It’s just nice that the option is there for more performance if desired.

Appearance is always the tough one – everyone has different tastes. The basics are all here – everything “fits” together nicely, NZXT has their own unique design applied for visual interest, the paint quality is good, the surfaces blend well, the curves on the panels are well done… The biggest praise I could probably give is this: I normally prefer the more extravagant designs (the Phantoms are more my style…) but the H630 caught my attention. Maybe I’m just growing up, I don’t know, but the H630 looks really interesting for a big black box. It looks better in person, I’ll say that much – the pictures do not do it justice. If anything, I’d like it to be a little smaller as it barely fits under my desk (I could almost use the top of the H630 as an area for a mouse pad…check the dimensions to make sure it works for you!)

The H630 is constructed as you would expect a $149 enclosure to be. It is solid, hefty (but lighter than you’d think – 30lbs / 14kg – given the solid construction and lots of sound dampening material throughout) and sturdy. The problems I had with removing the front panel shouldn’t make it to the retail cases, so I’m not sure I’d count that. If anything, some of the wiring for the LEDs looks like it would break pretty easily if ever messed with, but that’s mostly out of the way anyway (I didn’t encounter any issues with this during my build). The most serious issue I encountered was the top panel, or more specifically the power button unit. It might have some slight clearance issues as I needed to flex it a bit after my computer shut down suddenly during testing (and subsequently began to boot loop, in curious four-second intervals…). It seems it only takes slight pressure along the top panel to trip that power button – but after flexing the panel a bit and reassembling, I no longer experienced any issues. If the H630 is sitting on a flat, solid surface this probably won’t pop up as an issue for anyone, especially if you remove the top panel during assembly.

It may not look like it from the outside, but there’s a lot of functionality contained in the H630. The SD card reader was a thoughtful and useful addition, and the illuminated real panel makes so much sense I’m surprised it isn’t more prevalent. There’s adequate room for almost any cooling configuration you could think of, and the intakes are protected by removable dust filters (while the front mesh intake is removable as well, the entire panel needs to be removed to take it out – I’d like to see a removable filter here that doesn’t require this). The space inside is well utilized, with the SSD mounts on the back of the motherboard tray and additional pivoting 140/120mm fan mounts on the back of the drive bays. This case should be able to accommodate almost anyone’s build, and provide some noise muffling features as well as keeping everything cool – not an insignificant achievement, by any means. The intake and exhaust paths seem carefully planned, and are surprisingly sufficient – they provide more than adequate airflow while redirecting noise.

As of August 2013, the H630 is available online for $149.99 (Newegg | Amazon). Once you go over $100, you start needing cases that excel in certain areas to justify the price. When you consider that you’re getting the cooling performance and most of the features of the Phantom 630 (modular drive trays, ten port fan hub, etc.) which retails for $179, you can begin to see the value here. Add in the sound dampening materials and muted but still unique style, not to mention the better cooling potential (4x200mm fans!) and I believe you’ll agree this is a fair price for what you receive in return.

The bottom line: there’s enough here to justify the price if it fits what you’re looking for. Really, it’s just nice that NZXT adds another “630” option for those with less flashy tastes – but still retains the performance, even if it may require some additional investment (depending on your hardware). A solid offering. I feel like I could only recommend it to those that are okay with the size (it’s deceptively large!), but if you’re looking for a full-featured case that is relatively subtle and will accommodate almost any build, I don’t think you’d be dissatisfied with the H630.

Pros:

+ Adequate stock cooling, lots of cooling potential
+ Accommodates multiple radiators
+ Sound dampening features work as expected – component choice still matters more though…
+ Stylish and attractive, for what amounts to a black monolith – well designed
+ Interchangeable hinged side panels!
+ Filtered intakes
+ Included features (ten port fan hub, illuminated ports, integrated SD card reader) add an impressive amount of value and innovation
+ Ultra tower size provides lots of room for components and airflow

Cons:

– May need a “break in” period to mitigate some panel fit issues
– Should have had another 200mm fan instead of rear 140mm for stock configuration…
– Front panel needs to be removed to remove/clean front mesh intake
– Make sure you have room for a big case!

Ratings:

• Performance: 8.50
• Appearance: 8.50
• Construction: 8.00
• Functionality: 9.50
• Value: 9.00

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Final Score: 8.70 out of 10.
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